


Of Old Homes and Old Friends

by arcadian_hiraeth



Series: Miraculouses in Gotham [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Bisexual Harleen Quinzel, Coffee Lover Tim Drake, Confident Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Crossover, Damian Wayne is Robin, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Lila Rossi Lies, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pamela Isley Loves Harleen Quinzel, Past Joker (DCU)/Harleen Quinzel, Scarecrow's Fear Toxin (DCU), Sister Harleen Quinzel, Sister Pamela Isley, Strong Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Tags May Change, Tim Drake is Red Robin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:08:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22875289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arcadian_hiraeth/pseuds/arcadian_hiraeth
Summary: Marinette is one of the few people to live two lives, and fewer still have no one to know the two are different sides to the same coin. But what better place to share it than Gotham, with the vigilantes who are heroes in their own rights?This story has been DISCONTINUED
Relationships: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Harleen Quinzel, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Pamela Isley, Pamela Isley/Harleen Quinzel
Series: Miraculouses in Gotham [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1648027
Comments: 53
Kudos: 310





	1. Chapter 1

Everyone has secrets. Mostly small, petty ones- like hating your boss or pretending to be on your period to skip gym. Some have big secrets, like cheating on your lover or killing someone. Very few have the secret of an alter ego. Out of eight billion humans, people like the Bat Family, Superman, Spiderman and Wonder Woman all have the burden of saving(or helping, in the Gotham heroes case) their little corner of the world.

Many wouldn't think Marinette Dupain-Cheng, a girl known for being clumsy and generous, would be the civilian side of Ladybug, a heroine known for being poised and cold, at best, to certain reporters and akumas. Even her partner, Chat Noir, is seen as a flirt and humorous, but Adrien Agreste is known as docile and respectful.

Of course, there are moments where their personalities bleed into one another, but it's so rare and the prospect of them being one in the same is so unbelievable, no one makes the connection.

These children took the opportunity of a mask to be who they truly think they should be. But Marinette... There are things Crime Alley does to you- things that don't just go away, even if you barely remember them. The girl made it seven years before she was caught and adopted by the only two who would take her, Tom Dupain and Sabine Cheng.

When she went to Paris, everything changed. She came from a city of crime, hate and theft. The city of light and love, even the concepts, were so foreign to her. It took her two years to properly adjust. Even now, eight years later, she still has trouble reeling in the feral tendencies that come with being a Crime Alley kid. Even Ladybug has to force the urge down, in all her professionalism.

Her adoptive parents made sure to visit her home city once a year. The trips usually lasted the whole of the summer. Now fifteen, Marinette had eight years to get back to the darker side of the city of crime. And by 'dark side', I'm referring to villains. Specifically, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, affectionately named Fou and Ma Fleur by the Parisian girl.

But back in Paris, her friends have turned on her, and all because of Lila Rossi. The italian girl has been un-affectionately named 'Liar Rossi' by her and her remaining friends. These friends, Kagami Tsurugi and Luka Couffaine, also happen to be the only ones who spend little time with Lila. But if there was one thing Marinette had going for her, it was her looks. Her face seemed to be naturally child-like, with wide eyes and a round face. Perfect for playing the innocent card, even on supervillians who really should know better. But Ivy was always a sucker for cute things- it was why she tolerated Harley, after all.

"Tolerated? You know she loves me, Doll!"

Fine, it's why Ivy loved Harley. Though on bad days, when Ivy felt particularly outcasted from the world, it would be hard to talk to her. Of course, Harley and Ivy will always have a place in her heart, no matter what.

 _"Hold still!"_ Marinette hissed, french accent slipping slightly into her otherwise perfect English, "Or I'll stab you with a needle!"

Harley stared at her for a moment, "Doll, go take a break. This fancy-pancy gala is in a month and a half, and all the outfits are done but mine!"

Marinette's steely eyes looked at her sister for a moment, and Harley almost thought she was going to refuse, before she slumped. "Fine. But only for you, _fille folle_."

Ivy, from her spot on a sofa chair, sipped her herbal tea. "Harl's right, Marigold. You have plenty of time."

She pouted, "But what if my class takes up too much of my time and I can't finish it?"

Harley rolled her eyes, "Like going to a party in a dress with _one_ off stitch is such big mistake."

"It _is,_ though! It'll throw off the whole mood of the dress."

"Doll, go to bed."

"But-"

"Nope. Bed, little doll. Ivy or I will wake you in time for that tour."

Unable to oppose, she traipsed down the hallway to her room. It was normally only used during the summer, but when the option of going on a field trip to any(reasonable) place in the world, it was hard not to chose her hometown. She fought tooth and nail to get here, explaining all the benefits and even making a packet of all the necessary things to know and do while in the city, and then some, to win them over. It was probably the fact of her being able to pay for it, all by herself, that finally got them to agree.

Of course, she had a little help from her Uncle Jagged, Aunt Penny, and her commissions, but what the school doesn't know won't kill them.

(She didn't even really ask for Jagged and Penny's help- she just mentioned how she promised to pay for it by herself, and Penny suddenly made a mistake of buying eight bedrooms--one for each of her classmates--in a very handsome hotel in the nice(r) part of Gotham.)

And it's not like anyone credited her for it either, so she tried not to think about it too much.

The eight room ended up being Mme Bustier's, since Marinette was suddenly forgotten and there were only two beds in each room but her teacher's. Marinette wonders if that was more Penny trying to have Mme Bustier pay for her own room than anything else. It was fine, though. She still had her surrogate sisters' place. And if that failed... A recently abandoned building couldn't be _so_ bad.

* * *

Ivy woke her up with a sisterly kiss to the forehead and peppermint-passion flower tea. It was two hours earlier than the schedule she set up demanded, but she wanted to be sure to not get left behind.

New Jersey was a hot place, especially during July, so she dressed in light pink shorts, a white t-shirt with her logo, and a dark gray hoodie tied around her waist. She traded out her flats for boots that matched her shorts. Of course, she kept her purse, which carried everything important: Her phone, Tikki, her wallet, her ID, and the keys to her sisters' place, should she ever need to use the front door. The keys she uses in Paris were kept safely in her room. On a last minute decision, she put black leggings underneath her shorts. Comfort be damned- she did not want to be taken for trafficking.

Harley walked her to the Wayne Enterprise building, with half an hour to spare(neither would stop fawning over how cute she looked while giving unneeded but well-appreciated tips). The blonde gave her a quick hug, told her to _'be safe, doll face'_ before shooing her into the building and going back to Ivy.

Marinette only had to wait five minutes before her class showed up, and that made her extremely grateful to have come early.

When Mme Bustier walked in, she only did a quick skim, not even a headcount(like Marinette put in the packet), of the kids there, before turning to the desk.

The blue-black haired girl tried to stay a safe distance away from the group, but she made sure to be close enough that people knew she wasn't alone. She probably looked like an outcast, but that was fine by her. It made it easier to ignore the lies.

Their guide was a man named Dick Grayson. He was nice, but his smile was strained and he held himself with an air of... someone _important._ He could old a fight, if the hidden muscles and sharp eyes said anything. Marinette decided she could trust him. Not with her life, but if it came down to it, he was someone she would follow.

The longer she was near him, the more she realized he reminded her of a laid-back Kagami. Especially the post-Miraculous Kagami. It only served to further her trust, especially when he rolled his eyes at a particular falsehood of Lila's.

It had started off with Alya being, disrespectfully to Dick, on twitter. She, being one of the few that are fluent in English, was surfing through the _Gotham_ tag, and others like it. Apparently, she stumbled upon _#SunshineofGotham._

"Hey, Lila? Who's this 'Sunshine of Gotham?' There's a bunch about her on Twitter."

Of course, the italian girl didn't know the answer and made up some bullshit story, "Oh! They're talking about me, of course!"

"Really? Do you mind if I got an interview later?"

"Not at all!"

It was obvious to everyone but her class the girl was lying. Even Marinette who didn't really know who the 'Sunshine of Gotham' was, either. But that was really only because she never really strays from the fashion side of social media. She decided to ask Harley or Ivy about it later.

When lunch rolled around, they were allowed to buy food from the staff cafeteria. It didn't hold a candle to her parents' cooking, but Marinette wouldn't want any even if it did. Harley or Ivy, or maybe both, were coming around to give her lunch. She's not sure what, exactly, will be in it, but the peppermint-passion fruit tea from this morning is a definite.

Ivy said it helps calm nerves, and with her being around Lila in the City of Crime? She'll be lucky if she gets a moment of complete and utter peace. Plus, Ivy knows it's one of her favorite teas.

"Doll?"

Marinette looked to Harley, her hair put up in signature pigtails and wearing a yellow romper with off-yellow diamonds, and a hot pink sports bra. Her nails were painted an alternating yellow and pink, and her shoes matched her bra. In her hand dangled a cute navy and light pink polka-dotted bag.

"I got ya lunch, sugar. Red made sure to pack all your favorites."

The Parisian beamed, ignoring her classmates looks, and took the bag. "Thanks, Fou. Aren't the guards gonna stop you?"

Harley shrugged, "Nah, told 'em I was only here to deliver sum food to Sunshine. Red's out front, but they would only let one of us in, and we're trying to be more good, like you asked, Doll."

She hummed, opening the bag to find chocolate filled croissants, her peppermint-passion fruit tea, and some fruits. "This looks really good! Tell Ma Fleur I said thanks."

"Will do, Doll."

"Oh! And Harley? Who's the 'sunshine of gotham?'"

Her almost-sister stared at her in what seemed to be disbelief. It soon melted away into adoration and fondness, and expression both her and Ivy seem to wear a lot around Marinette, "I'll tell you at home, doll. Stay outta trouble!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally caved and made a ML/DC crossover. I'm actually surprised I lasted this long. But, if any of you think someone is acting out of character, especially any DC characters, please tell me and I'll either explain why I had them do this or change the scene.


	2. Chapter 2

When Harley left, Lila and her posse decided it was the perfect time to harass Marinette. They marched up to her, Lila looking close to tears. It was amazing how in control she was of her emotions. Almost as amazing as how much like sheep her class had become. "How could you?"

Marinette swallowed a grape. "How could I what?"

Alya stepped a little closer, teeth bared in an animalistic way, "You had that- that _harlot_ steal Lila's lunch!"

What? Marinette was fine with the lunch-stealing thing(she could have dealt with it herself), but calling her Fille Folle a _harlot?_ She could feel her eyes narrow, anger moulding them into blue steel. "What did you just call her?"

The ex-best friend didn't seem to realise the danger as she leaned closer, "That blonde bimbo is a _harlot._ And it's not like Fou or Fille Folle is any better."

Marinette couldn't tell if this mindset was a product of Lila, or if it was always there. She decided she didn't care, and began to pack up her lunch. She can finish eating in a quieter space, where more capable people wouldn't bother her. As she got up to leave, Alya grabbed her wrist.

" _Where_ do you think your going?"

The blue-black haired girl's eyes narrowed further, yanking her wrist from the other girl's grasp. "Somewhere far away from you."

She ended up going to the bathroom. Yeah, not the most sanitary place to bring a lunchbox, but it's not like she was taking the food out or putting the bag on the floor. Instead, she lets the handle hang from the top of her forearm, turning on the tap. She makes sure the water is cold before splashing it on her face.

She listens to Tikki's soothing words, letting the calm of Creation settle over her. It doesn't get rid of her anger, but she can meditate later. Maybe even cry.

Marinette is lucky enough to have an out from Hawk Moth. A few months away from emotional repression was heaven, and she's sure some people in Paris would kill for that kind of relief. But Gotham was an entirely different kind of hell. One where the damages couldn't be restored, one where people couldn't come back from Death. If the Wayne Enterprises building fell like the Eiffel tower, it would take months to restore the destruction of the area; even longer to restore the emotional damage to the survivors and the victim's friends.

But here she could cry, wail, and scream without any repercussions.

She took a deep breath, drying her face with the sleeves of her hoodie(the paper towels didn't seem like they would do much, and she didn't really want to put one on her face). She could do this. Just- go back and try to find a place far away from her class. It would be easy.

And it was. There was a little corner table near an exit, far enough away where she would go unnoticed by the french class. There was only one other person there, but he was absorbed in his work, so she didn't bother asking if a seat was free. Judging by the amount of styrofoam cups, he's been there a while and was most definitely in workaholic mode. It sort of reminded Marinette of herself, when she was struggling to catch up on commissions and homework at the same time.

Carefully, quietly, as to not disturb the man, she takes out her food. She had about twenty minutes left to eat, a lot less time than she was used to, so she started with a chocolate-filled croissants.

Marinette barely finished her second one when the doors burst open. Large, burly men carrying assault rifles started screaming to get along the wall. The less-than-fluent french students looked scared and confused. Surprisingly, Lila only looked... annoyed. And so did the man near her, but that was neither here nor there.

A thin, burlap-sack-mask wearing man came in. Having done intense research on Gotham's villains and vigilantes, and literally living here, it was hard not to recognise Scarecrow.

She could _hear_ the sadistic smile in his voice, "So... which one of you wants to be my first test subject?"

No one answered.

"No volunteers? Guess I'll just have to choose then." The man made a big show of looking around the room, words busting at the seams with glee as his eyes settled on Rose. Shaking, terrified Rose who definitely knew who this man was, being the only one too nice to follow everyone in ignoring the packet's contents.

"How about... you! Come on, little bird, come on up!"

She shook a little more, hand clenching tighter around Juleka's as a few goons began to walk up to her. While Rose does side with Lila, she still is a nice person, so...

"Use me instead." Marinette voice was a gunshot in an open meadow, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. Dramatically, a flock of twelve birds(crows) flew behind her, emphasising her words.

In her purse, she can feel Tikki press a paw to her leg. She ignores it.

"Oh, we have a little sacrificial lamb, do we? Lets give her what she wants." The man's voice was cold and amused as he waved a hand in her direction. She refused to shake as the goons changed directions.

Next to her, the workaholic hissed, "What are you doing?"

She didn't answer.

The goons dragged her to the middle of the cafeteria, holding her arms behind her back while she stood on her knees. Scarecrow grabbed a syringe, inspecting it for a moment, before touching the tip to her jugular.

"Your in luck, girl," He sneered with all the sadistic glee in the world, "Your the first to try out the new and improved version. Lets see what makes you scream."

She tried to memorise what she could see, what she could remember, as the syringe pierced her skin.

The effects didn't come immediately. For a moment, she almost thought being Ladybug had given her an immunity. Then she was plunged in darkness. Voices of friends, family, and enemies shouted at her from all directions.

_"Your a failure."_

_"You should have never been Ladybug."_

_"Paris is going to crumble because of you."_

What are five things she can see? Tikki, with angry eyes and sharp words, Maman and Papa, with disgusted faces and turned backs, Chat Blanc, with a dazed smile and sad eyes-

_"Why did you leave me, Marinette?"_

No. No, that isn't real. What are four things she can feel? The floor, her shirt, Tikki's paw against her leg, the hands around her arms. What are three things she can smell? One of the goon's cologne, the food left on the tables, coffee. She can feel herself calming down, and tries to come up with a plan. First, get these goons off of her.

She struggles, twisting her arms uselessly. She leans forward, waiting to feel the goon do so as well to slam the back of her head into his. She hears his startled yelp, and uses it to find the front of his shirt and punch his temple. His weight slumps, and the momentary relief is expelled by another sharp pain in her neck.

"Let's up the dosage, shall we?"

Everyone around her is gone, even the suffocating darkness, and she finds herself back in the broken, drowned Paris of her nightmares. The moon is just as destroyed as she remembered it to be, the sky just as blue and cloudless. Panic wells up inside her(shaking hands, wide eyes, a scream trapped in her throat) as she is forced to look at the one place, the one person, she never wanted to see again.

_"Little kitty on a roof, all alone without his lady."_

She turns around quickly, the Chat Blanc of her nightmares sitting just where she remembers him to be. She can't stop the question from tumbling out of her mouth, "Chat...?

She knows it isn't real, she _knows_ he doesn't exist anymore, but the way he turns around is so real, the despairingly longing glint in his eye so similar to the real one... _"M'lady? I thought you left me!"_

He jumped down from the ledge, arms open in an unwelcome hug. _"Oh, I was feline so hurt while you were gone."_

"No... No. You're gone. You're not real!" Her thick, Gotham accent from her childhood curled tight around her words, taking over the slight French accent. The layout of the room, the people around her, slip from her mind as she continues to watch Chat Blanc and the broken, drowned city she had once failed. And even though she knows what she's saying to be true, she takes five steps back for every one he takes forward. "Stay away!"

Trying to get away was futile- he was in front of her in a second, "Now that your back, we can fix everything!"

"Stay the fuck away from me!"

_"Come on, Marinette! Give me your Miraculous!"_

"NO!" If he wouldn't stop, she would have to stop him herself.

She can feel the air rush past her- she was running farther than the distance between her and Chat Blanc, but that hardly mattered. Her body collided with one much taller than her partner's, but she's still able to grab his shirt and knee him in the stomach. Somehow, she manages to get him down on the ground, beneath her. She can feel her knuckles splitting open as she punches his face, but she can hardly hear anything else but the strangled, garbled words from his throat.

Finally, when his face is a mess of blood and broken bone, she stands. He's not waking up anytime soon. She's-

Behind her, footsteps sound and a hand touches her shoulder- from the corner of her eye, she can see Hawk Moth. He's grinning, hand dangerously close to her earrings.

She grabs his wrist, and pulls him over her shoulder. The sound of his body hitting the ground is loud, and it definitely hurt, but he was already starting to get up. "Stay away from me, you piece of shit!"

An arm, Volpina's, wraps around her waist, trapping her, other hand reaching for her earrings. A quick elbow to the stomach has her kneeling over, and a bloody fist hits her nose like bulls-eye. She grabs the liar's shoulder, kneeing her stomach and knocking her feet out from under her. She hits the ground, hard, head slamming painfully against the floor.

Relief passes over her. She can go home. Back to Ivy and Harley and Maman and Papa and Kagami and Luka. She's _safe._

A familiar, thin pain pierces her neck, and she is returned to blackness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I do good with the fear-toxin scene? I think I could have done it a little better, but I don't know how.


	3. Chapter 3

She isn't used to the smell of stale medicine and bright lights.

She hasn't been to the hospital since she broke her leg when she was eleven, falling down the stairs. The first time was probably when she got picked up off the streets. She had been covered in bruises and she might have broken a rib- it was so long ago she can hardly remember. But she does know it was Robin and Batman who called her in. Looking back, it was a surprise Bruce Wayne didn't adopt her. She had the dark hair, blue eyes and angsty backstory. Maybe her Maman and Papa got to her first? Or maybe Mr Wayne just didn't know about her.

Whatever the reason, she's glad. Her Maman and Papa were the best people in the world.

A manicured nail poked her cheek, "Wakey-wakey, Sunshine. I got some danishes for ya."

"I don't think sweets are the best thing to give to her right now."

"Calm down, Red. Ya know that whole thing she does in Paris keeps her in shape."

"It's still unhealthy."

Marinette cracked a small smile, opening her eyes. Immediately shielding her eyes from the harsh lights(taking note of the bandages on her arms and hands), she waited for her blurry vision to clear to take in her sisters' appearances. They both had a few scrapes and bruises, Harley even had a patch of bandage on the side of her cheek. Marinette frowned, recognising the sign of a fight on her previously clean(of six weeks!) sisters, "What did you do?"

It hurts a little to speak, and her voice is slightly scratchy.

Harley opted to ignore the question, "Little doll! Your awake! Do you want a danish?"

Ivy, on the other hand, was not the same. She sighed, smiled a little, reaching in a paper bag to give her a chocolate danish, "Scarecrow hurt the Sunshine of Gotham, and he was punished."

The blonde-haired girlfriend leaned back in her hospital chair, "Yup! He won't be gettin' out'a Arkham for a while, doll." Her gaze darkened for a moment, "Bastard managed to graze me, though. The piece of shit."

"But... I thought I was the only one who got hurt?" She literally sacrificed herself so that was the case.

Ivy gave her a look, one that was disbelieving and fond at the same time, "Marigold... we call you Sunshine all the time."

It took a few moments longer than Marinette would have liked, "... Oh. _Oooh_ my god-" She fell into a fit of giggles, "-Lila called her self the 'Sunshine of Gotham' when the real one was right behind her!"

Harley snorted, Ivy smiling a bit wider, and it took her a while to calm down.

Marinette cleared her throat, trying to sort out the past day's events. "So, who... Who did I fight while I was..."

"Drugged?" Harley supplied, moving to climb on the bed next to her. Ivy followed suit, only on the other side, phone already pulled out.

"It's better if you watch a video, Marigold."

Ivy clicked into YouTube, went into 'Whats Trending' and clicked on the first video(the thumbnail featuring a fuzzy picture of her grabbing Scarecrow's shirt, the title being "Sunshine of Gotham is a Badass?").

_The video started with the goons changing direction to go towards her. It was obviously recorded by some security camera, with the large point of view. A lot of people's faces were blurred out._

_It was mostly quiet as they dragged her to the centre of the room, but Marinette's eyes were storming oceans- merciless, dark, ruthless to anyone who dares cross her path._

_Marinette hated the grin on Scarecrow's face now just as much as she did then. "Your in luck, girl. You're the first to try out the new and improved version. Let's see what makes you scream."_

_When the needle stabbed into her neck, it took a half a minute for her eyes to glaze over, becoming dazed and confused. She started struggling, trying to wiggle her arms free of the goon's grip behind her. Suddenly, she paused, leaning forward. It almost looked like she was going to puke, or pass out._

_The goon behind her shifted a little, leaning forward just slightly, mouth open in what was probably supposed to be a command. Marinette rammed her tiny body back into him, no doubt gaining some form of concussion. The goon, unprepared, gave a small yelp of pain and surprise, grip loosening enough for her to turn around, grab his shirt, pull him forward, and punch his temple. He slumps forward, the girl taking a few stumbling steps back._

_A goon from the side pulls the unconscious one away as Marinette is injected with the Fear Toxin once more. "Let's up the dosage, shall we?"_

_Marinette let's out a little gasp, quickly turning around to look at something past Scarecrow. Her hands shook, and her eyes were shiny and wide. She looked more like a terrified doll than a girl. Her breath hitches, and she takes an unconscious step back. Her small Parisian accent is gone, "Chat..?_

_A few moments pass, a thick, Gotham accent overtakes her as she speaks, "No... No. You're gone. Your not real!"_

_She sounded more like she was trying to convince her self, though. "Stay away!"  
_

_Every step back only seemed to further her fear- and her_ rage, _"Stay the fuck away from me!"_

_Batman and Robin drop down from the vents, and begin to take out the goons._

_"NO!" It was only a slight change in footing and demeanour, but it was enough to make her look feral as she charged at Scarecrow. The older man is startled as the doll-like girl rams into him, but doesn't fall over. Marinette manages to get a vice grip on his shirt and shoulder, ramming her knee into his solar plexus. She was a blur and before you know it, she's screaming her throat raw and doesn't even seem to notice his hands clawing at her arms, legs- anywhere he could reach._

Marinette skips over the three-minute footage of her inducing excruciating pain, and stops it just in time to see Batman approach her. 

_She glances over her shoulder for a second, and the next he's on the ground. She visibly relaxes, but doesn't drop her guard. "Stay away from me, you piece of shit!"_

_Robin, either stupid or arrogant, decides the best course of action is to try and restrain an overdosed girl and stab her with the Anti-Toxin._

_Keyword: Try._

_What he got instead was an elbow to the stomach, a punch to the face, a kick to his abdomen, and a kick to his legs. And a concussion, if the sound of his head hitting the floor is any indication. He clenches his teeth, letting out a little gasp of pain._

"Never underestimate a threatened girl, boy." Harley mutters from beside her.

_Behind Marinette, Batman discretely pushes the needle into her neck. Her eyes widen, then flutter closed. Her knees buckle, and if it weren't for Batman, she would have fallen to the floor._

"I-... i _beat up Batman and Robin._ They're going to hate me!"

"They don't hate you, Sunshine."

"What if they want to press charges?"

"Marigold, your a minor. And they won't."

"But-"

"Marinette." Harley's voice is strict but her eyes are warm, "You are not in the wrong. You were drugged, and most likely overdosing on the Fear Toxin. That caused your flight or fight response to activate. You are not in the wrong when you chose to fight. You are not in the wrong when those vigilantes tried to go near you while you were overdosing on something like that. You are not in the wrong, _period."_

Ivy smiled, wrapping an arm around Marinette's shoulder, "Harl's right. If you want to blame anyone, blame Scarecrow. _He's_ the one who forced you into that state in the first place."

"... Okay. I'm still going to apologise, though."

* * *

Marinettewishes Harley and Ivy were here.

"We couldn't get all of the drug out of your system without damaging you, so try to avoid any stressful or scary situations or things. You have a slight concussion, so try to avoid a lot of screen-time on electronics, avoid caffeine, and make sure you sleep eight to ten hours. For the scratches on your arms, make sure to replace the bandages every twelve hours, and apply ointment every time you do." The nurse looked up from his clipboard, "You can be discharged now, though. Do you have a parent or guardian to sign the forms?"

She _really_ wishes they were here, but Harley's in surgery(because a graze to the cheek was obviously not the worst of her injuries) and Ivy went to get some peppermint-passion fruit tea. She knows they didn't mean to leave her alone, but after Ivy left Harley started to get dizzy and was too out of it to even protest a surgery.

"Um. No, but... Do you know when Harley Quinn is getting out of surgery?"

The nurse blinked, "I don't know. I could ask a doctor, if you want?"

"No, no. It's fine. I'm sure Ivy will get here soon."

"Alright. Feel free to call someone when someone is here, okay?"

"Okay."

The nurse left with a little wave, and Marinette sat back. What could she do as an apology? Just saying 'sorry' doesn't seem like enough. Giving them coffee or pastries would be an option if she was still in Paris, as her sisters don't nearly have enough ingredients for that. But... She _does_ have everything she needs to make them some clothes.

Robin looks fairly young, around her age, so he might like a hoodie. Maybe one in his colours? But that might be too much- she doesn't know much about him, but it takes a certain type of person to wear something that vibrant. A double-sided hoodie, then. 

As for Batman... He's an older man, maybe in his thirties. A hoodie wouldn't work for him, so maybe a suit jacket? She'd have to guess his dimensions, then. Suit jackets aren't meant to be baggy or loose. She's lucky his suit is form-fitting- it makes it easier to see where she needs to make adjustments.

Marinette wishes she had a pen and paper.

She'll just have to wait for Harley or Ivy to get back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry I haven't updated this fic in a while. Half of the chapter got deleted, along with a few chapters of other works. It took me a few days to get over me being angry at myself, and I haven't had much time to write in general as my family is moving.


	4. Chapter 4

Ivy gets back first. She has some more danish to go along with the tea she promised. Her eyes travel around the room, “Did someone finally get Harley to get the bullet out?”

“Yeah. Someone told me it didn’t hit anything important, but she should still take it easy for a few days.”

“Only a few days?’

“I’m sure they wanted to say weeks, but they knew Harley would never do that.”

They call the nurse and have Ivy sign the discharge forms. After Marinette is changed(and she got her sketchbook back!) they wait for Harley’s surgery to be done. Occasionally, the girl will take a bite of a danish or a sip of her tea, but she stays focused on her designs.

Ivy looks over her shoulder, eying the sketches and notes. “What are you designing?”

“An apology for Batman and Robin.”

“Hmm. How are you going to give it to them?”

“Their patrols stay the same every Thursday.”

Ivy frowns, “Are you going to-” She glances around at the potential eavesdroppers, “-Use your equipment.”

“Yeah. Maybe the fox one.” God, she hates referring to Trixx like that.

“Be careful, Sunshine.”

“I haven’t even finished them yet, Ma Fleur!”

* * *

Five days. Five days of having Trixx out and trying not to let anyone(especially Lila) see or steal the necklace. Five days of obsessive sewing and designing and ignoring Lila and Alya and trying not to rip Adrien from the former’s talons.

The boy had come to her, one day, telling her he knows they aren’t friends. Not anymore. And he tells her he made a deal with his father- go with what Lila says, and he’ll let him stay in school. “If.. I’ll try to keep them from doing anything too bad, but…”

She’ll admit, her crush on the boy has been gone for a while, but not her care for him. Her Fille Folle says it’s unhealthy, but doesn’t try to force her to change.

Back to the topic- Marinette just has to wait until tonight to give the heroes their gifts. Back home, she has them folded neatly and put in a MDC bag(which is basically just a pink and white polka-dotted paper bag with her logo on it), along with a note to the heroes.

When the tour scheduled for that day ends, Ivy is waiting for her with her car. “Come on, Marigold. I’m sure you can’t wait for the day to end.”

And she can’t. She’s fiddling, tapping- always moving as she waits for their patrol to start. And then she has to wait for the end of it, to avoid her gifts getting stolen or trashed from a potential fight.

As soon as she allows herself to, she transforms.

With Trixx, she’s Huli Jing. Her suit is similar to Alya’s, except the tail is more ‘real’, and the dark brown stops at her elbows and knees. 

When she sees the main he- _vigilante,_ Batman, near the Batmobile, she quickly casts _Mirage_ to look like a normal girl- dark brown hair, seaglass eyes, tanned skin(she doesn’t want to put him on edge with her real appearance- she _did_ flip him over last time). Huli Jing tightened her grip on the bag, breathing out a steadying breath.

She jogs over to the heroes, trying to make sure her steps weren’t too quiet or too loud. The older man turned his head around to look at her. Although she couldn’t see it, she was sure his hand was on a weapon.

Huli Jing holds out the bag, “Um- I’m not really, uh, _good_ with words, but I wanted to say so-, um, thank you. For protecting the city, I mean! So, uh, here!”

She placed the bag down, and without even a look at the man, she ran. But she did it! She didn’t wimp out or stutter _too_ much, so this was a win for her! Sort of. They’ll know it was from her, not her Mirage, when they open it, but for now, she’ll try to ignore the questions she knows they’ll have.

* * *

Today was a lucky day for Robin. He got the solo patrol that night, and his order at the cafe didn’t take as long as it usually did. Plus, people were too engrossed with the Sunshine of Gotham being a badass to really bother him.

And then he sees a girl in a bright orange suit looking at the Batmobile from the shadows of an alley. He was pretty sure she had ears and a tail, too, but that _must_ be his mind playing tricks on him.

Still, he reported it on the comms, ignoring the remarks his brothers were making on the other line.

Soon enough, all three were right next to him, watching the girl.

When Batman comes into view, she steps back and does some ‘weird magical girl bullshit’(Red Hood’s words, not his) and then she looks different. Like, completely different.

All of them are ready to pounce as she talks to their father, and Robin is the one to go after her when she runs.

While she’s running, the illusion bleeds away, and a faintly glowing zipper-thing beeps. Okay, the ears and tail are _definitely_ not his imagination. And… is that a _flute_ on her back?

The girl slows, taking a look at the buildings around her, mumbling to herself, “I did it! Ma Fleur is going to be _so_ happy I got this done. And I didn’t stutter or anything too much! I am _definitely_ getting some croissants later!... As long as I can find my way back.”

Her eyes catch a sign with the street name and she bounds away with speed Robin isn’t arrogant enough to think he can replicate, and he goes back home.

Looks like Gotham just got a new Metahuman- one who, apparently, can shapeshift.

* * *

In the batcave, Batman looks at all of his children. The oldest, Nightwing, begins, “She’s gotta be some magical girl. I mean, when she turned into the other girl, it was full of light and weird moves.”

“And she had ears and a tail.”

Batman’s brows furrowed, “Real ones?”

Robin shook his head, “They looked real, but it was too dark to see clearly.”

Red Hood nodded, “I agree. She did have something on her back- a short staff, maybe.”

“A flute.” Robin corrected.

Batman nodded, “And what did she look like.”

“Dark hair, green eyes, tan skin. She was about-”

“No, I meant when she was in the orange suit.”

He was met with silence. Nightwing frowned, “I… I can remember her, but I can’t picture how she looked. Not even her hair color.”

Batman dragged a hand down his face- he does _not_ get enough sleep for this. He turned to the bag, having already searched for bugs or trackers, and carefully took out whatever was inside.

His sons crowded around the letter and two packages. Batman opened the letter first.

_Dear Batman and Robin,_

_I wanted to say sorry for hurting you the other day. To make up for it, I had some gifts made. I hope they fit, and I’m really sorry for hurting you._

_Signed,  
_ _Sunshine_

He opened the package labelled _Robin_ first, surprised to find fabric. He unfolded it, realizing it was a hoodie. A double-sided hoodie, if the inside said anything. On the sleeve’s hem, a stitching of an _M_ next to flowers sat in black thread.

“You have an MDC original.” Breathed Red Robin. “You, baby bird, are the luckiest person alive."

Robin didn’t really agree with that.

Batman opened the one labelled after him, finding a suit jacket.

Alfred smiled, “I can see what she meant by ‘I hope they fit’.”

Red Robin grinned, “We _have_ to find her!”

Robin scowled, “Of course we do! She’s a metahuman wandering around, pretending to be a hero!”

Nightwing grinned, “Damn, baby bird. Enthusiastic much?”

The youngest one growled, hand going to the hilt of his sword. Alfred, taking it as the perfect time to interrupt, cleared his throat. “If you don’t mind, would any of you be willing to tell me more about how she ‘shapeshifted?’”

The air-quotes definitely didn’t go unnoticed. Still, Red Robin shrugged, “She did some fancy moves with her flute, there was some light, and then she looked different.”

“Did she say anything before-hand?” Alfred pressed.

“Oh! She said ‘Mirage.’”

Alfred nodded. “As I thought. She is not a Metahuman, but rather someone in possession of a very powerful artifact. A Miraculous. The fox one, to be precise, which grants it’s user power over illusions.”

Red Robin, finished analyzing the letter, frowned, “So, that begs the question: How does the Sunshine of Gotham get someone with that much power to run an errand for her?”

Red Hood scoffed, “Dude, we’d _all_ do anything for Sunshine.”

There was a murmur of agreement among the four youngest. Robin shook his head, “That doesn’t answer the question of how the two know each other in the first place.”

Batman sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, “Let's get some sleep. It’s two in the morning and we all have to get up in at least four hours.”

The next morning, they had forgotten all about the not-metahuman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, to clarify. The Magic that keeps Miraculous user's identity a secret blocks someone's mind from recognising traits from someone. As explained briefly in my other series, this magic focuses more on people who can cause them harm, and less on others who the magic is certain will not. This allows certain people to figure it out before they're told.
> 
> The Magic is the reason why they can't remember what Marinette looks like as Huli Jing(literally 'fox spirit' in Chinese), why they don't think to ask Alfred how he knows this, and why they forget in the morning.
> 
> The Magic does not affect the Grand Guardian.
> 
> If you find any mistakes, please tell me and I'll gladly fix them!


	5. Chapter 5

Marinette wasn’t expecting to wake up on the couch. She also wasn’t expecting to wake up with the glasses on, but what can she say? It’s not the first time she’s fallen asleep after a patrol. But she was in Gotham, as the talking plants and Harley’s humming proves.

So why..?

_The gifts!_

_Oh god the gifts!_

“Mornin’ Sunshine. Ivy’s gone to the garden to check up on her babies.” Harley flipped a pancake with practiced ease. Her favorite sandwich from Sal sat on a plate, half-devoured and next to a wrapped one. “Cass is comin’ over soon, too. She got a new outfit, didja know?”

Of course Marinette knew. She giggles, “I made it, Fille Folle.”

Marinette makes quick work of putting away her glasses and taking some food for Kaalki and Tikki. The Deities know the drill, and hide away in her room. Marinette locks the door.

Cass doesn’t know about the Miraculous. Marinette wouldn’t put it past her to try and steal them, even if she didn’t know what they were.

Don’t get her wrong, Marinette knows Cass is a very nice girl, but… She has a habit of stealing anything which catches her eye. And if she realizes the very pretty jewelry is also very powerful?

Marinette shudders when she thinks of who could get their hands on them.

When she comes back out, her plate of pancakes is on the table and Cass is eating her sandwich. Quickly, she scarfs the food down. Her class is scheduled for a trip to Gotham Academy set for when the school opens. Which is in an hour.

And since Marinette’s sure they’ll come early again, Marinette leaves as soon as the last pancake bite is in her mouth. She races to her room, unlocking and relocking the door behind her. 

She let Kaalki’s glasses hang from her shirt, grabbing her purse and going out the window to the fire-escape. Carefully closing and having Tikki lock the window, she heads off to Gotham Academy.

She has to walk, since Ivy has to tend to her gardens and today is Harley’s apprenticeship day with Cass, whose full name is Cassandra Cain.

Not to be confused with Cassandra Cain, Bruce Wayne’s kid. No, her Cass is far from mute and definitely not as socially awkward.

Marinette gets there just as the bus does, and she delights in the flash of annoyance in Lila’s eyes.

The Gotham Academy principal met them in front of the school’s very gothic gates. He was a tall, thin man. His dark hair was slicked back and had streaks of silver that matched his eyes. He wore a dark suit with a red plum button-up. His tie pin and cufflinks were a shade of yellow-green which did _not_ go well with the red plum. And neither of those colours went with the season!

He should at least wear a colour to match the uniform if he was going to ignore the season like that.

His shirt wasn’t fitted, either! Marinette can sympathize with someone who doesn’t have enough money for that, but this man has no excuses! Even if he _did_ get the shirt yesterday or early today, he should have waited until he got it fitted to wear it. Now it just makes him look foolish.

But he seemed pretty smart. He looked at them all as if he knew exactly how they worked, how to get under everyone's skin.

Marinette did not trust this man.

The untrustworthy man led them to the front office, where they would get schedules for their day of pretending to be a Gotham Academy Student.

The woman at the desk got them uniforms, every one having one of their names on it. Marinette wasn’t as surprised as her class and teacher, since she was the one to submit the class’ measurements. She didn’t have Lila’s, though, so she just made estimates. 

Estimates that made Lila look just as untrustworthy as the Principle, with her unfitted shirt and baggy vest.

Marinette had given little notes of each person’s preferences(Alix got pants instead of a skirt, Juleka’s skirt was longer, Mylene’s pockets were bigger, Ivan’s pants weren’t as tight, etc) but Marinette possibly modified her own the most. Her skirt had the same big pocket’s as Mylene’s. She wore the tie but not the sweater. The vest has pockets inside, and her tights were more of an off-black instead of a plain black.

She thought she looked professional. The lady at the front desk thought she looked cute.

Marinette’ll take what she can get. 

The schedule she was given showed she had half normal classes, and half art classes. She even had _design!_

… Maybe she could convince her Maman and Papa to live here full-time.

But living here wouldn’t guarantee a spot at this academy. Maybe she can take a college here. She’ll have to research them, though.

She files that idea away for later.

Her first class was English, which was okay. She sat next to a boy with dark hair and green eyes whose face seemed permanently fixed in a frown. But he kept to himself and didn’t bother her, which was better than her own classmates.

The second class was Civics and if that wasn’t confusing then she doesn’t what is. She’s had to ask the boy next to her(the same boy from English) for explanations three times now.

She’s not oblivious enough to not know when someone catcalls her in the hallway to Math. So she turns to them, with their strawberry blond hair and their silver eyes, “Say that again.”

The boy smirks, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his pants like some anime delinquent. What a wannabe. “I said, ‘how ‘bout you bend o-’”

He doesn’t expect for Marinette to sweep him off his feet. Literally. She’s had a bad day, okay? And this isn’t Paris. She can get angry here, she can rip off the walking doormat persona.

Gone was the Parisian accent, Gotham running thick in her veins, “No matter how big you act, it does not hide the fact of you trying to overcompensate for something you _obviously_ don’t have. Leave me alone or you’ll be missing whatever small dick you do have.”

His face is worth whatever scolding Tikki will give her later.

And if the other girls in the school gave her looks of gratitude? Well, then she _definitely_ wants to stick around. (She doesn’t miss the confused looks of her classmates, or the hands slipping in her pockets to leave dollar bills or little candies.)

Hopefully, she can defeat Hawkmoth soon. And then convince her parents to let her stay here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, it's shorter than the other chapters. Yes, it's been decades since I last updated. No, I will not give an explanation because I was just lazy and have commitment issues with the relationship between me and long books.
> 
> On a better note, I do hope you enjoyed it, however short it may be.


	6. Not a Chapter

I'm sorry to all of those who were looking forward to an update, but there won't be one. At least, not for a while. I really am sorry to leave you with an unfinished story, but I don't need to explain my reasons to you, personal or not. I hope you can still enjoy other creator's ML content, because you won't be getting much from me. I hope you all have a nice day, and I apologise if I sound exceedingly rude or cold.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i know i said i wasn't going to upload anymore, but i was going through old google docs and i found this. didn't want it to waste away in the dust, so here it is!

The starvation was familiar. It pulled at her gut, begging, screaming, wanting for food Marinette could neither provide nor find it in herself to want. It tasted like empty screams, clawing at the back of her throat but pushed down by pride and fear. She would not let herself become a beggar.

The drowning was… not so familiar. Water pushed at her lungs, her head. Her bruises and open cuts ached, pulsing along time with her heartbeat as she sat in the water.

Why… Oh, right. She stole from a gang’s leader. She didn’t know. Even if she did, could you blame her? The woman was wearing shiny jewelry, and fancy clothes. She had money. What was a little pearl anklet compared to golden bracelets and diamond rings?

A lot, apparently, if the bruises and drowning state said anything. Here, in Gotham, gangs didn’t care if you were a child- and Marinette was a prime example. It was only by luck the waves and currents hadn’t completely stolen her breath.

Marinette pulled herself to the surface, every stroke of an arm or leg causing another pulse of pain. Her head throbbed and her lungs burned.

When she finally reached the surface, she found the docks, the ones she vaguely remembers being pushed off of, nearby. Her vision danced as she swam to the docks, mouth more often filled with seawater than air.

When she finally makes it to land, she hacks up water and whatever little food she had in her stomach- even a little blood.

Marinette stood, wincing at the tell-tale pain of a broken rib. It hurt to breathe.

When she looked up, she saw two figures- one large, black one and a smaller, traffic-light one. Batman and Robin?

What are they…?

Blackness invaded her vision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was actually the scene that made me want to write this story. i loved the fics of mari being a thief in gotham before she got to paris, and i also really love angst, so this was born and with it this story
> 
> and for those who might be a lil confused: i will still not be updating. i just didn't want to waste away in the back of my google docs. hope you enjoyed it!


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